This invention relates to seat belts and more particularly to a seat belt buckle release guard apparatus for deterring small children of an age to be fastened in a vehicle in the usual manner from unfastening the belt.
The purpose of seat belt buckle release guards is to deter children, primarily aged 12 months of four years or about forty pounds in weight from releasing the standard adult seat belt buckles by pushing or popping the release button on the belt while riding in the vehicle. The need is for safety. As a child generally is trapped into the back of the car, either in a car chair or in the back seat using the belt provided with the car depending on age or size, should the seat belt be open when the car is suddenly braked or involved in an accident, the child's safety is jeopardized.
In the past, a seat belt release guard apparatus has included a sleeve for enclosing snugly a seat belt latching housing attached to one segment of the seat belt. The latching housing includes a release button conveniently located, generally on the front, for releasing a latch tongue fixed to a second segment of the seat belt. The sleeve has one end partially closed to provide an aperture through which the latch tongue is passed for latching. The sleeve also has an aperture corresponding in location to the latching housing release button. When positioned over the latching housing, the sleeve is retained in place by the engaged latch tongue. Those persons skilled in the art desiring more information concerning the prior art device are referred to U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,194 issued Mar. 5, 1985 to Morris et al., or U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,094 issued Feb. 5, 1985 to Morris.
A problem with the above mentioned prior art device is that it requires the use of an object capable of being passed through the sleeve release button aperture to engage the release button for latch tongue release. This feature is troublesome enough during normal seat belt usage and becomes even more so during emergency use such as when the vehicle is involved in an accident or on fire. Further, if the above-mentioned prior art device gets flipped over and buckled, it becomes most difficult to gain access to the hole for unfastening.
Although the seat belt buckle guard according to this invention also has for its purpose the protection of the seat belt release button, it differs from the above described device in that the guard is simple in design to make it easy to apply as a cover for the existing vehicle seat belt buckle in use; its closure means is located to be out of sight or reach of the curious fingers of small children and is designed for quick release by an adult. Further, the guard may be either removed when not in use for children, or it may be left in place for use next time without restricting or eliminating the normal function of the seat belt buckle.